By Ashley McCarty
In this week’s edition of “Unsung Heroes,” we procure a little knowledge of retail workers with Gary McClellan.
McClellan has owned Mosier Furiture and Appliance since 1983, when he purchased it from former owner Lloyd Mosier.
Mosier Furniture and Appliance began in 1931 under the ownership of Wilbur Mosier. When it began, it sold grocieries, pianos. and flooring.
“The business was moved by Wilbur off of Main Street. It [was located in] the building on Main Street that has the look of an old cafe. It’s three stories and has an elevator in it. He was there for awhile, but then in 1939, moved it here,” said McClellan.
Mosier Furniture and Appliance steadfastly secured its roots at 217 N West Street, where it began selling furniture.
In the 1950s, Wilbur Mosier’s son, Lloyd Mosier, purchased the business. It remained under his care until McClellan bought it in 1983. Before owning Mosier Furniture and Appliance, McClellan was a school teacher, and taught Social Studies at West Union High School for 12 years. During that time, he also coached various sports.
“I married into that family, so I was really the guy in-line. In the summer, teachers don’t have a lot to do, so I would come here to Mosier Furniture. I learned from the ground up laying vinyl, carpet, delivering items, so I learned the business by working summers. I did that, and then when I retired from teaching, I retired knowing that this was what I was going to do. So, I bought the business, and it’s been good. I’m glad I did it,” said McClellan.
Under his tenure, McClellan has seen the hardship that comes with owning a retail business — perhaps the most unexpected would begin in 2019, when the coronavirus began to rear its head. By March of 2020, businesses were closed.
“On March 16, I called my insurance company and asked them if I had pandemic insurance. To my chagrin at that time, two days later I found out that I did not. So, I didn’t have insurance covering this, and I was a little disappointed; however, we told our employees to go home,” said McClellan.
The employees who worked inside and delivered items were to stay home for a little over a week; the installers, however, who faced the greatest risk of contracting this new virus, were told to stay home for a month.
“We paid them to take that month off. We paid all our employees, and thought — this is not going to work out for very long. Well, slowly, we began to realize that we were essential in a sense, because we sell appliances, and those appliances have needs in the home, whether it was refrigerators, the washers, lift chairs for [residents],” said McClellan.
After 10 days of being shut down, they began realizing that the community had a lot of need for them.
“As I said, essential. So, what we found out was that as we moved along through most of March, and then April came along, and there was a lot of people wanting things. Then, the stimulus money hit, and for some reason people just wanted to do things in their home. They can’t travel, they can’t eat out, so there was money that was being used to just take care of the house, and we were the recipient of that,” said McClellan.
The best year in the history of the store happened to be the worst year in history for most Americans, he said.
“This has been an incredible year. Our footprint is big. It’s gotten bigger as this year has moved along. It’s been good. July was the biggest month in the history of the store. So, it’s been a rough year, but it’s been a good year for Mosier Furniture and Appliance,” said McClellan.
Before realizing they were essential, however, McClellan had the same trepidations as any owner would.
“How to pay the bills and how to keep the employees employed. That was the main problem. We wanted to pay them, because it wasn’t their fault. Of course the PPE came along, and that was good, but we did that long before that happened. We were paying them and making sure they had employment, so that was a concern, and then you have lots of orders out there,” said McClellan.
Now that the pandemic has trudged on, acquiring product has become a frustration for them and many other retailers.
“We can’t get products very easily. A lot of the factories and makers of products that we purchase from have struggled through production. Production has been more of a problem than supplying people on the retail side. Production got delayed, a lot of factories closed, and because of the pandemic and COVID-19, they separated their employees, they cut back, and so the supply line is really tough,” said McClellan.
Some customers that have ordered product are faced with extended wait times as a result.
“I have people that have ordered certain products — I have a certain refrigerator for instance — and it has been on order ever since sometime in June, and they still don’t have it. So, it’s been almost six months, and it’s getting that way in a lot of different avenues, so getting a product has been very difficult. It’s going to slow us down a little bit, trying to make people happy, and getting them their Christmas stuff, too. We don’t have a lot to show for Christmas, it’s been tough,” said McClellan.
Mosier Furniture and Appliance has been fortunate in that respect, however.
“In 2020 most people have had to adapt and there is less of everything; we’re just now running into less. What we’ve had to adapt to, is that we’ve had to hire five new employees since this started in March. What we have trouble keeping up with is the growth, because it was overnight in a sense. It was quick,” said McClellan.
Mosier Furniture and Appliance has also had to adapt to the new procedures that come with COVID-19. While the main offices are in the back, a temporary space has been set up at the foyer to greet people.
“We put some desks in the front so we could greet people, make sure they have their masks on, that kind of stuff. People have been very cooperative that way. So, just adjusting to the sudden input of business has been pretty challenging; keeping all the orders caught up and getting them out, and dealing with more employees, as well,” said McClellan.
Buying local has also been an asset to the business.
“One of the things that Mosier Furniture and Appliance has benefited from would be the emphasis on buying local. We appreciate [that]. I had a couple today that have been waiting on a washer and dryer for weeks. I told them a date, and that got postponed by production, and just to hear them talk about how they want to support local business has been a very encouraging sign,” said McClellan.
The business was also blessed with a decrease in competition when Chamblin Furniture and Edmisten Furniture went out of business. Though Mosier Furniture and Appliance has not always been graced with the hand of favor.
“In 2008 or 2009, we had a major recession, and a lot of businesses closed. We had to infuse money into this business to help it survive during that time. It was very rough, and it took years to survive. Matter of fact, when I look at numbers, it almost took us until 2017 to recover from that. That’s not very long ago,” said McClellan.
Mosier Furniture and Appliance has stood the test of time. It has survived through the years, endured hardship, a global pandemic and continues to hold its head high as 2020 comes to a close.
It is still a question as to who will inherit this legacy, and those years of hard work.
“I just had a student retire from the local bank on the courthouse square, and I’m thinking — he was a student of mine when I was a teacher. He’s retiring. So, when you look at the situation that I’m in, sticking around in the business, I want the store to last. Thinking about it, I feel a responsibility to the community. We sell a lot of parts for people, we help people on the phone repair appliances in their home, we try to do that, and we feel a responsibility to carry bake elements, for instance, so their oven is working. So, you feel a certain responsibility to the community,” said McClellan.
No one in his family is interested in the business.
“So, I have to find somebody or something that will take over this business in the not so far future. I bought it in 1983, so that’s 37 years that I’ve been doing this, and I don’t mind. I feel good, I’m young at heart, I have good health, I don’t mind doing it, but probably it’s time to think about somebody else doing it,” said McClellan.
These years later, McClellan is still glad he took over the business.
“We’ve been successful, we hope we’ve helped everybody that we’ve touched. We’ve tried to make everybody happy, probably failed in a few, but you try,” he said.
